Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai has stepped up its drive to attract more cruise travellers and strengthen its position as a leading "cruise hub of the region," and is expecting to welcome more than 200 ship calls and an estimated one million cruise visitors this cruise season.

The new cruise season commenced on Oct.19 with the arrival of TUI Cruises’ "Mein Schiff 5," carrying over 6,000 passengers. This will now be followed by five maiden calls from leading international cruise liners throughout the season, including Costa Cruises’ "Costa Diadema," MSC Cruises’ "MSC Bellissima," Royal Caribbean’s "Jewel of the Seas," Croisieurope’s "La Belle Des Oceans," and TUI Cruises’ "Mein Schiff 6."

The cruise liners will homeport at Dubai’s award-winning Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal, home to world-class facilities capable of handling seven mega-cruise vessels at one time.

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director, DP World UAE Region, said, "DP World UAE Region is committed to developing Dubai’s cruise industry to its maximum potential in line with the goals set out in the Dubai Silk Road strategy which was developed by the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation in collaboration with key government entities."

Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al Mannai, CEO-P&O Marinas and Executive Director, Mina Rashid, said, "Mina Rashid’s status as the premier cruise port of the region is reflected in not just the number of tourists sailing in on an annual basis, but more importantly, the rising number of cruise liners making this their preferred homeport. They are here because of the continuous improvements that we make to the facilities and our customer service at our luxury terminals, led by the flagship Hamdan Bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal."

Hamad Bin Mejren, Senior Vice President, Dubai Tourism, said, "Last season, we witnessed remarkable growth in visitor footfall and international cruise liners opting to dock at the award-winning Mina Rashid cruise terminal. We anticipate another successful season with the arrival of TUI Cruises’ 'Mein Schiff 5', marking a significant step in our efforts to promote Dubai as a ‘must-visit’ cruise destination."

The 2019-2020 cruise season will also see increased efforts to promote cruise tourism in the region by the Dubai Cruise Committee, which comprises leading industry partners, including Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, DP World UAE Region, operator of Mina Rashid, Emirates Airlines, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai, and Dubai Customs.